Friday-9:45am

I did work on the Zendala Dare this week.

This time I searched through my home-made tangle book...

...and used (or adapted) beadlines, bundles, and hopscotch.

Sorry if the pictures are dark.  It's a gray morning here.

****

My Ink Drop for April arrived from Goulet Pens.

Was excited to see turquoise!!

Well, I have already gotten side-tracked on the 21 Secrets--LOL!  I kept thinking that I should do a separate journal just for all the critters and Minnesota prairie memories...kind of a collage art diary.  I remembered that in one of the classes we were supposed to construct our own journal.  So I found that one ( #9-Diary of a Highly Effective But Inconsistent Journaler with Jodi Ohl) and watched all the eight videos.

****

Inspiring.  And I may try something closer to her method (duct tape, sewing machine, and glue gun) when I have some of my own gelli plate papers...but that's another story.  (I have ordered a gelli plate for my birthday, but it's on backorder.)  Well--face it--you know how anal I am about these type of things.  My being looser would be using gelli plate printed papers.  There's no way I could put together a journal with duct tape--LOL!

****

Which led my wandering mind to my yearly goal list.  

****

Make a larger journal, it says...right there...printed on my list.  

****

A few years back I bought some Dick Blick student grade watercolor paper that's pre-cut to 15 X 22 inches.  I had this idea of just folding it in half to make a 15 X 11 inch art journal--absolutely humongous for me!!  So I drug out all my paper stash from under my bed.  Karma was intrigued, of course.    

I keep them inside cardboard cartons that some of them arrived in... 

...and I have a couple big black boxes, too. 

Of course they are organized into watercolor paper, pastel paper, drawing paper, large printed & handmade papers (in one of the black boxes), and even larger pretty paper that wouldn't fit in the black box.  I found my cheap stacks of Dick Blick student WC paper--have both 140 and 90 lb.  Decided with such a huge book it should have sturdier paper--so I folded the dozen sheets of 140# paper.  I'm only using two sheets per signature.

I also have these Davy Boards I have never used.  Thought I'd try a big heavy cover for this giant journal.

Had to work a little at a time so it took forever to cut the covers, but I did it--tada!

Then I picked some handmade paper for the covers.

Lighter one with the inclusions for the outside of the covers and the darker tan for the insides.

I tore them down to size.  (I do love my super heavy giant ruler I bought for bookmaking years ago!)...

...then sanded down the edges of the Davy Board.  All ready for the next step--gluing the paper on the covers.   

I plan to do a coptic stitch binding since I am kind of familiar with that method (haven't done it for so long I hope I can remember and not make too many mistakes)...but have never tried anything so huge!  Going to be tricky. 

****

Karma and I were exhausted.  ;)

And now I best get moving.  Dagan is supposed to come over after his half day today and take me over to renew my driver's license.  I have had to postpone it already a couple of times.  Only have a month after my birthday or I'd have to take the behind the wheel and written test all over again--so I hope I can make it over there this afternoon.  Wish me luck!

****

Chance of rain, ice pellets, or snow today--so it's a dress warm day.  Hope your weekend is filled with wonderful new memories to cherish.  :)

****

"If we take the time, no matter how crazy and troubled we feel, we can find something to be thankful for."

Terry Lynn Taylor